Poverty has not improved in the U.S. with the so-called economic recovery, yet the House of Representatives has cut billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. On International Food Day, which was Oct. 16, the SNAP reduction meant the loss of 1.5 million meals for children and families who are in dire straits.
Internationally, food security is absent in many nations. Although there is sufficient food for every man, woman and child in the world, access to that food continues to be elusive. A person who works in Haiti spoke to the congregation at St. Pius X Church on Sept. 29, showing a small, flat piece of bread and noting that many in Haiti have only this to eat daily.
What can we do? First, we can raise our own awareness about food and make donations to local food programs. We can also shop for locally produced food. We can contact our representatives in Congress and urge them to construct aid programs that will lead to long-term food security in poor nations.
It is well known that women, given a start, will feed their families. Our representatives also could look at treaties such as NAFTA and find ways to correct the destruction of local food production that such treaties are causing.
We cannot do everything, but each one of us can do something.
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Patricia A. Keefe
Rochester
